2 Nursing Home Aides Fired Over #FeltCute ’Might Drop Your Grandma’ Joke

Two nursing aides are being accused of elder abuse after posting a controversial photo caption on Facebook. They were employed at the Etowah Health Care Center in Etowah, Tennessee, and fired after publishing a Facebook post that showed them posing with a piece of medical equipment and featured the caption, “Felt cute … might drop your grandma later.” Once the post was live, it didn’t take long for the post to be shared and receive a strong backlash, especially from those who have had to deal with elder abuse and lost loved ones to neglect.  

The two nursing aides were quickly fired by the health center. Both claim that the photo was not taken in the nursing home and is actually years old although many people who have worked with the two aides, dispute this assertion.

What is the #FeltCute challenge?

If you haven’t heard of the #FeltCute challenge, it refers to a popular online meme that features the phrase, “Feeling cute, might delete later.” The #FeltCute challenge went viral and led to thousands of popular and humorous memes. 

However, many think that this post went too far and accuse the women of elder abuse. 

A Facebook user was the first to raise red flags over the post and is now at the center of the controversy. She was sent a screenshot of the post, which she then shared to her own Facebook page. In her own post, she expressed her outrage over the photo and things quickly escalated from there. She also directly contacted the facility, who responded by relieving the aides of their jobs. While the center quickly took action, they have yet to release an official statement regarding the incident. 

The nursing aides claim that a harmless joke got out of control and they are now taking steps to sue the Facebook user for stalking and harassment. Many of the comments regarding the post talk about personal experiences with nursing homes and express disappointment and even anger about that the two women would be so cavalier about something so serious that affects families all over the country.

#NotCute

It remains to be seen whether the nursing aides will actually be able to take any legal action, but the public has spoken loud and clear about the post and their feelings about elder abuse. 

Social Media use For Healthcare Workers

While both aides state that the photos were not taken at work, the post still affected their livelihood. We encourage all healthcare workers to use sound personal judgement,  follow their company policy and HIPAA requirements when using social media. A careless mistake could have major consequences.